Ottawa Citizen's 2011 federal election notebook.

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Abortion hawks and doves

A speech by Conservative incumbent and candidate Brad Trost to a anti-abortion has thrust reproductive rights back onto the agenda.

Trost’s leader, Stephen Harper, was forced this morning to again re-state that he would not open the issue again. Harper was asked about his own views on a woman’s right to choose an abortion, but did not directly answer. He did, however, refer to a vote he cast against a private members’ bill on abortion last year.

That bill, C-510, was introduced by Manitoba Conservative Rod Bruinooge. It would have criminalized coercing someone to have an abortion, although not abortion itself.

On a vote on second reading in December, all New Democrats and Bloc MPs who voted were opposed to the bill.

Harper was among a group of 49 Conservatives voting against the bill, so it is probably not a true litmus test on how they’d vote on a bill directly impacting abortion rights. Also among them, cabinet ministers John Baird, Rob Nicholson, Peter MacKay and Bev Oda.

Also interesting, a smaller group of Liberal MPs voted against their party on the bill. Almost all represent suburban Toronto ridings with large ethnic communities who are believed to be less socially liberal.